Dying For Happiness: The Priesthood

As I continued to grow in the gospel, my knowledge of it's power and strength grew. This knowledge especially grew when I received the Aaronic Priesthood. It was an amazing feeling as a twelve year old boy to know that God trusted me enough to give me his power and authority to help bring others unto salvation. What a great responsibility. This song sums up being a young man who holds the priesthood in a great way.



It is true, we need to learn our duty by the Prophets voice. We have opportunities to serve and to lead, even as a youth. It was such a great learning experience for me to learn and grow as a person and in the gospel through having those responsibilities. Due to the Priesthood I learned from a young age how to lead others in accomplishing a purpose. I was then able to take that trait into all other aspects of my life and lead in different ways throughout my life. When I was 17 one of my friends learned about the church and decided that he wanted to be baptized. He asked me if I would baptize him.

Of course, I said that I would love to. Although I was excited I was also a little nervous. I was a teenager, and I would be performing an ordinance for this friend that is required to live with God again. It was a great thought to know that God trusted me enough to allow me to do such an important thing! I felt so good after the baptism, and it helped me to better understand the priesthood and the blessings that come with it! I know that the Priesthood is real and that it truly is the power of God! I know that it can bless all of our lives if we allow it, whether we hold the Priesthood or not.

To read the Previous Posts in the Series and learn about upcoming posts, check out the Series Page.

When Church Hopping Ends!

Here is a snippet of what Sister Bowes wrote for Elder Walker:

"I want tell you how I came from searching for the Truth since I was a teenager. I've been to almost every denomination you can think of. At 14, I knew I was in the wrong church. At 16, when I started driving, I would church hop. Sometimes I would enter a church building and the people were very friendly but that's as far as it went. I also felt like an outsider at some and even though I yearned to be part of their service, it was too clickish and I was ignored.

 

I'd even begged members of these different churches to study with me, but to no avail. I felt like I was traveling in a foreign country where I didn't understand their language. I never would give up though and off I'd go to yet another church.

 

Nothing changed after I was married. We both ended up church hopping. We had children and we drug them with us. That is until one day.

 

We had a yard sale 6 months ago and up rode two little Elder fellers..." Read the rest of her story at eldermcwalker.blogspot.com

Sister's Sunday: "The Holy Temple - A Beacon to the World"

So this week, "Sister's Sunday" is written by Lauren!! Here she goes!

This was a very special week! Richard and I had the privilege to go to the Sacramento temple and be there as our friend was married and sealed for eternity to her husband. As I was sitting there, watching the two of them smiling and glowing with happiness and love for each other, I started crying! I couldn’t help it! The temple is definitely a sacred place where you can feel the Holy Spirit so strong and I was so happy for them because they will be able to be together forever! Then my thoughts turned to her older brother who was waiting outside and it just made me so sad that he couldn’t be in there at that time with her. I hope that his sister’s example that day will help him have the desire to make changes in his life and have the temple as his goal.
A few weeks ago in General Conference, President Monson spoke about temples and this is what he said about making the temple a priority in your life:

“If you have not yet been to the temple or if you have been but currently do not qualify for a recommend, there is no more important goal for you to work toward than being worthy to go to the temple. Your sacrifice may be bringing your life into compliance with what is required to receive a recommend, perhaps by forsaking long-held habits which disqualify you. It may be having the faith and the discipline to pay your tithing. Whatever it is, qualify to enter the temple of God. Secure a temple recommend and regard it as a precious possession, for such it is.

"Until you have entered the house of the Lord and have received all the blessings which await you there, you have not obtained everything the Church has to offer. The all-important and crowning blessings of membership in the Church are those blessings which we receive in the temples of God.” ("The Holy Temple - A Beacon to the World")

I am so grateful for temples! Being able to go to the temple is so important because the ordinances performed there allows us to be able to return to our Heavenly Father and have eternal families. These blessings cannot be received anywhere else, but in the temple. Let us all make the temple a priority in our lives!


Thanks Lauren! The Temple is amazing! I look up to all of my brothers and sisters, since they were all married in the Temple, for time and all of eternity! I know that they cherish that day, and go often to the temple to remember it!!! Here is a picture of Richard and Lauren on their wedding day at the Sacramento Temple!

I love all the temples, they are all beautiful and allow us to partake of the ordiances needed to return to God, here are some more pictures of the Temples!!

Learn more about Temples:
Temples.LDS.org
"The Blessings of the Temple"